


A solis ortu usque ad occasum

by 虹川朱美 (believemydice)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, Gen, canon compliant until altissia, tags and characters will be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24474685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/believemydice/pseuds/%E8%99%B9%E5%B7%9D%E6%9C%B1%E7%BE%8E
Summary: Since time immemorial, the royal family has been supported by a long line of sorcerers and sorceresses that lurked in the shadows and did all the dirty works for the royals, dubbed the "Shadows of the Crown". Carrying that legacy is a young woman named Diana, the heiress to the noble Claudius family, a part of the Crown Prince's royal retinue as they set forth from the shelter of Insomnia to Altissia to formalize the union between Lucis and the imperial province of Tenebrae by the means of marriage between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Her Ladyship Lady Lunafreya. And thus, their arduous journey begins...
Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	1. Claudius, the Shadowhand

**Author's Note:**

> I already published a little bit of this story as another story titled "Returner of Dreams", which can be found here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11712991/1/Returner-of-Dreams  
> I wrote that story nearly four years ago with no access to the game and can only glean what wiki has for me - and of course, once I get to play the game that story is fraught with inconsistencies and did not offer the same nuance I had hoped to achieve and therefore I have decided to rewrite and rebuild the story from the ground up. This will mainly be a retelling of FFXV with some twists and more down the road, I am excited as to where the story will take me and I hope you buckle up with me on this journey!
> 
> The title means "from sunrise to sunset".

_A long, long time ago, when the Crystal crowned the Mystic as the founder King and founded Lucis, a lone sorcerer of unworldly gift stood by his side. The sorcerer became a witness as Bahamut, the Draconian, bestowed upon the king the Crystal and the Ring. The sorcerer became a witness as the king banished the darkness from Eos, the sorcerer became a witness as the Astrals went to sleep, leaving the world in the hands of humanity._

_Even though the darkness had been banished, the task of building a country remains still._

_The sorcerer, who detested limelight and preferred to work in the shadows, became the king’s right hand. In the shadows he lurked, dealing with matters the king cannot deal with directly – with his great power the sorcerer subdued those who resist – he was never recognized for his efforts, however, seeing the country his liege built, the sorcerer was moved and felt his efforts were worth it. The king extended a hand towards him, which he gladly accepted. The king called him brother-in-arms, the shadow to the blinding light of the Crown, and asked him to stand by his side still, for performing tasks that must be done in the shadow is also the responsibilities of the king._

_The sorcerer, moved by the sentiment, thus pledged an oath before the hallowed Crystal, binding his bloodline upon that oath._

May my bloodline be the one that treads the path of blood and tears for the sake of their sovereign. May my bloodline become the stalwart guardian of the crown and the sovereign, may my bloodline become one with the shadows, may my bloodline be tied to that of the royals – may my bloodline become the swift judgment of the sovereign, so that may the Crown triumph and the sovereign reverently shine. May my bloodline be swift as the wind, and never forget that they are the shadows of the crown.

_And thus, the Claudius family came into being. In the beginning, we serve only the Crown – meaning that we only serve the sovereign and execute his wills in the shadows – thus our epithet, the Shadowhand. However, as time passes, we became increasingly involved in family feuds and succession struggles – our family was divided into factions as each member follows those who they deem the rightful sovereign by their own interpretation or worse, they followed the person who can pay them most handsomely. We waged war with our own kin, we would murder our brothers, sisters, father, and mother if our sovereign willed so. Whoever wins the succession war would then sentence our family members who opposed them to death – be it burned at stakes or to be imprisoned in Angelgard and left to die there. And it became a custom that each time there was an ascension struggle, the parties involved would race to recruit us and offered us many prizes and treasures or political position – of course, we had to be the ones that bear the consequence. Our number quickly dwindled, and by the time of your great grandfather, Nathaniel, only half of the total members of our family remained._

_Your grandfather, Eleazar, witnessed the ascension struggle between the late King Mors and his elder brother, Prince Vita. Our family, already dwindling in number, once again divided themselves into two factions – those who followed King Mors as the rightful heir to the throne, and those who followed the prince. Needless to say, another bloody struggle followed and many of our family members fell victim to the blade of their own kin. King Mors won the struggle and ascended to the throne, and it took everything your grandfather had to convince the King so that he would not sentence those who followed the prince to death. Fed up with the senseless bloodshed and murders that happened, your grandfather then banned the remaining family members to be involved in royal family feuds and the King, realizing that he had to limit our influence, recruited most of our family members into Crownsguard and Kingsglaive. Our numbers dwindled even further, and now, to avoid such senseless bloodshed again, only those who descend directly from your grandfather can tap into the power of the Crystal at the behest of the monarch._

_Now, Diana, let this tale be a warning to you. By taking this oath, you would become the heir apparent and would bear our family’s legacy. Our legacy is stained with blood and smeared with sins, and only the strong could bear such a legacy that had been passed down for millennia. Remember that by taking this oath, not only you swear upon Claudius' name to protect the Crown Prince as your sovereign, but also to not repeat the mistakes our ancestors made. As the Shadow of the Crown, you must be prepared to do everything to benefit the sovereign, but you must also question the decisions the sovereign make – after all, the blood of the innocents would be the one who speaks against you in the shadows._

What if I don’t take this oath, Father? What would become of us?

_Then Rembrandt would become my heir and the Minerva would be his. He would be the one to carry our legacy and our sins, and he would be the one serving the Crown Prince instead of you._

…We have committed a lot of sins, haven’t we, Father?

_Yes. We all should be acutely aware of that._

Is there no way to redeem ourselves?

_…I can’t say._

Then I would take this oath. I wish to find a way to redeem ourselves.

_Are you sure?_

I am, Father. I will find a way to redeem our family and the transgressions we have committed in the name of our sovereign and I will serve the Crown Prince as you have served the King.

_Very well. I acknowledge your resolve. Diana, from today henceforth, you are my heir – heir to the legacy and the name Claudius. Do you pledge upon your life that you would protect your sovereign – and that you would correct the wrongs of our ways?_

I, Diana, pledge that I shall protect my sovereign and that I shall, with all my powers, correct the wrongdoings we have committed. May the blood of the innocents be my witness.


	2. On My Honor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, so obviously I'm still in the early stages of the game (had just gotten to Lestallum) and I will update this story along with my progression as to keep a faithful retelling of FFXV (at least for now, winks). I also supplemented my story with supplemental materials from the universe - a few particular chapters including this one and after this will be constructed from the FFXV Prologue Parting Ways and Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.

“Miss Diana, the King requests your presence.”

Diana raised an eyebrow to see one of the royal butlers roaming the palace bowed before her. “His Majesty?”

“Yes,” the butler replied. Diana paused for a few moments before she nodded, “I understand. I will be there shortly.” As the butler once again bowed before her and turned on the heels, starting to walk away, Diana was left in her position, thoughts racing through her head. Perhaps it had something to do with the Crown Prince’s departure in a few days? It was rare, after all, that the King directly requested her presence.

“Oh well, twiddling my thumbs here won’t get me anywhere. Might as well see what Uncle Regis has to say.”

And with that said, Diana started to head towards the Throne Room, where the King was waiting.

Diana is a young woman with a rather average and slim build, almost seemingly delicate and dainty with flowing, platinum blond hair and blue eyes. Hailing from the noble Claudius family, she is the current heir apparent to the family, set to succeed after her mother Matilda, The Honorable Lady Claudius who took the title when her husband Amadeus, The Honorable Lord Claudius died suddenly eight-nine odd years prior. His death forced Diana and her younger brother out of the Citadel as her mother’s family offered the distraught Matilda to return to the family mansion, an offer which she accepted. Diana had just returned to the Citadel three years before, after finishing high school at the Royal Academy and now working in the palace as a representative of her mother.

Her light steps brought her before the Throne Room, which was guarded by two members of the Kingsglaive. She recognized the two members as Crowe Altius and Titus Drautos, the Captain of the Kingsglaive.

“State your business.” In a cold voice, Titus demanded Diana’s attention.

“The King has summoned me.”

“Then wait here. I will see what the King has to say.”

Titus did not waste any time, immediately entering the Throne Room, leaving Diana alone with Crowe. An awkward silence hung above the two ladies before Crowe finally cracked a smile on her lips. “Please forgive our captain. That’s just how the way it goes for him.”

“It’s okay,” Diana answered. “I know it has been some quite uneasy period for all of us here.”

“Aren’t you a part of Prince Noctis’ entourage?” Crowe asked, curiosity within her brown eyes. “Rumors are flying around about you, young lady.” Diana scrunched her eyebrows, confused – Crowe chuckled. “No, no, it’s nothing to worry about. You know, the royal gossips – ‘who would be the bride for the next in line?’, ‘a mysterious female is spotted within the prince’s entourage!’. And things like that.” Hearing that, Diana let out a rather exasperated sigh. “I see. Let them talk, I suppose.”

“You seem to be used to it.”

“Oh, of course. Three years since I returned here, those kinds of rumors have been flying around like flies in the summer.” A wry smile graced Diana’s lips. “I have to get used to it.” Before Crowe could say anything, the door to the Throne Room opened. “The king has approved of your presence – but the king has only so much time to spare.”

Diana nodded, bowing her head to Crowe and Titus before entering the room.

The Throne Room was a vast room with two staircases leading to the golden throne with elaborate metalwork that occupied nearly half of the room. Diana could make out the figure of the monarch sitting on the throne – the 113th monarch of the Lucian throne, King Regis Lucis Caelum – of course, for her, he is Uncle Regis which had been how the king introduced himself to her when she was only a little girl lost inside the vast interior of the royal residence. Her young self, of course, did not know the old man that took her back to her father was the King until much later. As she arrived on the lower staircase, Diana curtsied before the king, as fit for a noble lady before her monarch.

King Regis, despite being in his early fifties, looked like he had advanced well beyond that age – he had been crippled due to maintaining the Wall that surrounded the Crown City for thirty years, needing cane and bracers to help him walk and his hair had turned gray much faster than the usual rate. The King, however, had not lost his touch – his mind still sharp, his presence still imposing and all-encompassing. He gestured at Diana to rise as he stood up, heaving himself upwards as he stabilized himself with his cane and slowly walked towards the staircase, making his descent until he and the young lady came face to face.

“I know this will come off as a sudden and I apologize for calling you here so suddenly, but listen carefully.” Diana immediately tensed. Something told her that she must listen carefully at what the King had to say, and a weird, yet wrenching gut feeling made its way to her stomach. “Diana, now that you will accompany my son in the coming days, there are some things you must know. You must not tell Noctis or anybody else of what you heard of today – not until the time is right. Can you swear on your honor that you will this keep a secret until the time is right?”

Startled, she nonetheless complied. “I swear on my honor, Your Majesty.”

“Very well, then listen carefully. First of all, the armistice we signed – it is most likely a ruse, and that Niflheim would use the moment to seize the Crown City.”

She immediately felt weak on the knees – what? The words hit her like someone had bludgeoned her head – the words and all the implications dazed her. “Then, does that mean – “

“Yes, your journey to Altissia is the only way to ensure my son’s safety. If he remains any longer, he will be dead, and you all will be as well.”

“But – what would become of the Crown City? Of _you_?”

“I am the least of your concern, Diana,” Regis sternly reprimanded her, “remember that you are the shadow to Noctis’ crown, not mine. Now, back to the matters at hand – I figured that at least you should be privy of this information.” Regis looked at Diana straight in the eye. “The Crystal has demanded one more life – my life – before Noctis can fulfill his destiny as the True King.” If his previous words seemed to have bludgeoned her, now his words felt like a sword stabbing her through the heart – it shattered her heart. She had always loved the king like a father – the king was the beneficiary of her family after her father’s sudden death, paying all of the family’s living expense from his private purse, allowing Diana and her younger brother to finish their education and not having to worry about their frail mother. Not only that, but the King had also always treated her like his own daughter growing up, and Diana lost count on how many sweet moments she shared with the royal family – with the King, Noctis, and all his friends – it squeezed her chest it was very hard to breathe. Feeling the hot rush of the tears on her eyes, Diana bit her lips as tears gathered in her eyes and blurred the figure of the elderly king standing in front of her.

“But take heart, Diana,” King Regis, in a softer voice, continued, “we will overcome the empire. Peace will return to Eos, and Noctis will be the one to banish the darkness once and for all. All of these sacrifices will be worth it.”

 _No,_ Diana wailed silently, _this will not be worth it if you are not there with your son as he restores peace to the world – if you’re not there with us when we restore peace to the world. What about us? How about the marriage?_

With bated breath, Diana successfully managed to rein her emotions in, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Taking deep breaths, Diana then once again faced the king who waited patiently for her to gather her composure. “I understand,” Diana finally answered, her voice trembling, “I will take heart and keep your words in my heart.”

“Good,” the king smiled. “And now, will you listen to my own selfish request?” She nodded.

“As your father has served as my shadow, I want you to be my son’s shadow – I want you to protect him from unseen harm that might befall him and push him forward. Noctis has yet to find his true calling and destiny, and I beg that you and his friends steer him towards that path of fulfilling his destiny.”

Upon hearing the king, Diana stepped back and knelt down, placing her right hand on her heart. “By the name Claudius, by the honor of my family, I shall see that the prince is safe with me. I shall guide him forward and fulfill his destiny, so that may the prophecies come true.”

Satisfied upon hearing her answer, the king nodded. “Then I leave his wellbeing into your hands.”

* * *

As she left the Throne Room, her thoughts were still spinning inside her and refused to give her peace. She did not know how she could come in terms with what was essentially an escape plan, where she would abandon everyone and everything in order to save herself. _Oh Father, if only you were here, you would know what to do._

Distraught by her own thoughts as she walked aimlessly, Diana almost jumped in surprise when she felt her phone vibrating inside her pocket. Picking up the phone, she glanced at the screen – it was none other than Prompto Argentum, who insisted his hair did not look like a chocobo butt.

“Hello?”

_“Hey, Diana! Come over here! Where are you?”_

“Here? Where? And I’m at the Citadel.”

“ _Noct’s apartment, of course! We could use a hand or two here.”_

“Hold up, what are you guys doing in his apartment?” Diana immediately remembered she might or might not have made a promise with Noctis to help him clean and pack his apartment days before their road trip – “right, I promised you guys I would lend a hand huh?”

_“You remembered! Okay, now get here as soon as you can, we’re breaking our backs here!”_

Prompto hung up and Diana returned her phone to her pocket. Off to the heart of Insomnia she goes, heading to the royal apartment where the Crown Prince spends his days – days which are about to come to an end.


	3. The Royal Entourage

Noctis Lucis Caelum was not exactly the tidiest person around, but the chaos throughout his lodge was enough to make every single person either shook their head or massage their temple. It was everywhere – in the living room, in his own sleeping quarter, the chaos even extended far and wide to the bathroom. Pieces of clothing strewn here and there, unattended leftovers at the dining room, dirty floor, unwashed dishes, crumpled papers on the floor, full trash can – you name it, this apartment has it. Ignis stood at the prince’s side, clearly unamused. “Noct, what did I say about keeping your quarters clean?” When the prince did not reply, Ignis let out an exasperated sigh. “Good thing that Gladio, Prompto, and Diana agreed to come and help clean your apartment. I expect that you do your part too, Noct.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Noctis replied, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner and plopped himself onto the sofa in an attempt to make himself comfortable amidst the strewn pieces of dirty laundry. Picking up his phone, Noctis started to mindlessly browse the web as Ignis cleaned the kitchen area, placing two big brown paper bags on the countertop. Hearing the rustle of the bags, Noctis perked up. “What’s for lunch today, Ignis?”

“Vegetable stew and breaded cutlet with tomato sauce,” Ignis answered while deftly preparing the ingredients. “I expect you to eat your vegetables.” Noctis groaned, which was ignored. The two men then sank into a comfortable silence, with the sound of running tap water and knife tapping against the cutting board filling the air inside the apartment. The constant rhythm of the knife tapping against the cutting board started to lull the prince into his daily afternoon nap – feeling sleepy, Noctis then put his phone aside and leaned backward, arms stretched as he closed his eyes, starting to slip away from the consciousness. No more than a minute into his afternoon nap, however, the sound of blaring doorbell jolted him up. He immediately opened his eyes, all of his sleepiness washed away. Ignis stopped, put his knife aside, and headed to the door.

In front of the door stood Prompto and Gladiolus, both with a grin on their faces.

“Just in time,” Ignis said, his face still perfectly straight. “While I make our lunch, you guys do the cleaning. Make sure Noct joins you too.”

“Gotcha,” Gladiolus answered. Ignis then returned to his task and the two made their entrance, Prompto waving his hand at the prince.

“Rise and shine, Noct, it’s time to do clean your apartment.” Noctis groaned again. Gladiolus let out a hearty laugh. “C’mon, you’re gonna be a husband soon and you’ll really leave the cleaning task to your wife?”

“You know that isn’t manly!” Prompto quipped.

“I can always call the servants, you know,” Noctis groaned as he got onto his feet. “Why do I have to clean too…”

Gladiolus cracked a grin. “Cheer up, Noct. Once you start moving, your mood will get better.” The Amicitia then looked around, slightly scratching his head. “Where do we even begin…alright, let’s start with taking out the trash. Noct, you take out the trash in your bedroom. Prompto, you take out the trash from the kitchen. I will start cleaning the living room here.” In high spirits, Prompto enthusiastically headed to the kitchen, pestering Ignis with questions and requests for the lunch while taking out the trash. Noctis, however, did not share Prompto’s high spirit. He headed to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Taking a good look at his bedroom – with his bed not made, yet another pile of dirty laundry strewn across the floor this time including his socks and the much less flattering used underwear put Noctis at a limbo. His azure eyes dimmed at the thought of how he told himself he had all the time in the world to clean his apartment and make his bed, feeding the destructive cycle of severe procrastination – he always thought he had all the time in the world. He was young, he had just become a full-fledged adult – what else could he ask for? The entire nation celebrated his birthday just a few months ago, along with his coming-of-age ceremony. The Royal Art Society of Lucis partnered with a certain car manufacturer to gift him with the Star of Lucis, his personal car, and on top of that there were lavish banquets to celebrate the occasion – of course, Noctis had wished to forgo such celebrations since he disliked such lavishness, but he had to fulfill the representation duty that came with his title as the Crown Prince. The adrenaline that came as he left his adolescence and transitioned into a full-fledged adult diminished rather quickly through the days after the celebration, and instead filled him with doubts for the future.

And like the cherry on top, the news that the empire wanted him to marry Lunafreya came, and it had flipped his world upside down ever since.

Of course, if you’re royalty, being married when you’re twenty is not unusual. Noctis could recall several royalties before him that wed at an even earlier age – his late mother, Queen Aulea, married King Regis when she was only nineteen – the King twenty. The only resemblance Noctis could see was that he was around his father’s age when his parents married – everything else, including the circumstances were a stark contrast. His parents married out of love while his wedding to Lunafreya was much more politically motivated than his parents’ and that is one of the so many things on his list that made him hesitant to go forth with the marriage. The bride herself had no bearing in his hesitation – well, maybe a little bit. Honestly, his relationship with her was more than a little bit complicated.

Did he love her? Of course, obviously. But as what?

That was precisely what he was unable to answer. As a childhood friend? As a motherly figure who tended to him when he was recovering from his traumatic injury? As the Oracle, who led the people forward with unparalleled compassion that extended through even to him, of the royal bloodline? As a steadfast ally? Or a woman of her own, with all of her weaknesses and strengths that make her Lunafreya?

Truly, which façade of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret he harbored affection for? Or is it even affection at all?

Noctis shook his head to silence his racing thoughts. As with all things, probably he could figure it out along the way.

He then worked his way from the ground up – starting with throwing his underwear into the hamper, followed by his socks and gloves. He then made his bed, pulling the corners of each side to tighten the sheet and puffing up the pillows, folding his blanket and placing his bolsters on top of the blanket. The mundane work helped him to set his thoughts straight – something Noctis was very grateful for. After spending some time and feeling his back started to ache, Noctis decided it was a good time to stop.

The prince returned with two trash bags on his hand to the living room to see that a certain young woman had joined the company. Diana, who was busy sweeping the floor, realized Noctis’ presence and she looked at him, ushering a smile on her lips. “Hello.”

“Mm,” Noctis answered, handing Gladiolus his trash bags. The prince then plopped himself on the sofa once again, taking out his phone and this time he opened his social media accounts. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the trending topic on every single social media site he was on: his marriage to Lunafreya – royal marriage, and all synonymous things. Curious, he then tapped on the trends and started to read through the feed – a lot of people congratulated him and Lunafreya, while others expressed doubt whether they were a good match – some minorities outright opposed the marriage. Noctis also read through the conspiracy theorist’s accounts – how his marriage to Lunafreya was used as a cover-up for more sinister things, the post claimed – though the post refused to elaborate on the ‘more sinister things’. His marriage to Lunafreya was a cover-up for a Niflheim assault, another claimed. While he was not exactly comfortable reading theories regarding him and or his friends, conspiracy theories were always miles better than gossip accounts. Closing the apps, Noctis then put his phone on lock and sat straight. He should probably help some more, too.

The clock showed two in the afternoon when Ignis finally finished preparing the lunch. Calling everyone to the table, the afternoon was spent rather quickly with everyone eating and chatting. As Ignis cleaned the dishes, the rest of them cleaned the apartment from the inside out, and by dinner time, the royal lodging was on its cleanest state in any given time during the two years Noctis lodged there. Prompto heaved a sigh, clearly relieved. “Finally! I thought we won’t ever get rid of Noct’s junk.” The prince glared daggers at his best friend, who raised his eyebrows. “What? I ain’t wrong!” Everyone shared a laugh, Noctis included. The laughter then died as the group, sitting in a circle in the living room looked at each other, the realization of their upcoming departure hit each one of them.

“So, it’s the day after tomorrow huh?” Diana softly muttered. Noctis nodded. “Yeah. Can’t believe it’s that time already.”

“Seems like the announcement of the royal marriage was a long time ago…it was practically two weeks ago, yet it feels like a lifetime ago.” The sorceress looked at Noctis, “how are you feeling?”

“It hasn’t hit me at all,” the prince answered. “But it’s pretty normal, I suppose. Dad got married when he was twenty. Mom was nineteen.” Gladiolus hummed in understanding, shifting his weight backward. “Well, for our parents’ generation it was normal to get married early. As long as the bride is ready to conceive, the marriage can go forward…Heck, even in the olden days they can get you – “ Gladiolus looked at Diana, “to marry at like what, fourteen? Fifteen?”

Diana shrugged. “That’s not a foreign concept for me, mind you. I’m just thankful we have women’s suffrage now.” Gladiolus chuckled. “Yeah, else you’ll be whisked away to someone-knows-where when you turned fifteen and you wouldn’t be here now.” Diana rolled her eyes in mock exasperation before cracking a grin. “Then again, Gladio, I’m sure you know the male heirs can be wed as early as five years old.” Hearing her statement, Noctis’ eyes grew wide, as well as Prompto’s.

“Five?!” the two raised their voices at the same time.

“At that age, you can’t even…uh…do _that_!”

“Keep it PG, Prompto,” Gladiolus playfully jabbed Prompto on his ribcage. Prompto groaned. “Dammit Gladio, that hurts. Do you forget that I’m literally only bones?” Gladiolus laughed heartily – however, the laughter immediately faded as Ignis cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention; particularly Noct’s.

“Noct, His Majesty wants an audience with you tomorrow. You best be ready tomorrow when I get here.”

“Got it.”

“Oh yeah, my dad mentioned something about the change of protocols he wanted to discuss with me tomorrow,” Gladiolus mused, “How ‘bout ‘cha, Prompto?”

“Hm, not really sure,” Prompto answered, “Oh well if anything’s up, I’ll show up.” The blond turned at Diana, “Hey, you got plans tomorrow?”

“What is this now?” Diana asked, amused, “you wanna take me out for a fancy dinner?”

“More like, you still owe me lunch for that one time I snapped your photo for that photo contest submission!”

“Did I ever agree to that?”

“You did!” Prompto groaned again, Diana laughed. “Sorry Prompto, I’m heading home tomorrow – so probably no lunch until we’re back from our trip.”

“What is this thing about photo contest?” Noctis asked, half curious and half offended because he wasn’t invited along. “Well, it’s just a snapshot contest,” Diana answered, “I thought you don’t want to enter, so I went ahead and registered for the contest. Not like we win, though.”

The night then passed on with merry laughter and jabs here and there – and just a few minutes shy of nine in the evening, Gladiolus, Prompto, Diana, and Ignis all rose and left, going on their own separate ways – leaving Noctis alone in his room and thoughts.


	4. Comrades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is simply a retelling of ffxv: parting ways, specifically scene #14 where regis and clarus had some deep conversation.

Regis sat down heavily in his chair, having just returned from an interminable meeting. Moments later, he was joined by Clarus – who looked only marginally less exhausted than him. “I had no idea meetings could be so taxing. My back aches.” Regis laughed, but his laugh soon diminished and was followed with a long sigh. Clarus, with concern, looked at his king. “How are you feeling? I imagine you must be exhausted.”

“Indeed.”

“And what of Noctis?”

“I hadn’t a moment to see him.” Guilt stirred within Regis as he replied. Even though he was the one who wanted Noctis to come to the Citadel and speak with him today, it was he who failed to uphold the promise on his part. Perhaps right now Noctis was already back at his apartment, preparing for the departure tomorrow.

“I see,” Clarus paused, then continued. “After you send him on his way tomorrow, why not rest a little? Let me handle the more trivial matters.”

“I can’t have that,” Regis replied, “if I leave the kingdom in your hands for even a day, I won’t have a place to return to.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

The king and his shield laughed, relieving a bit of the stress that had been building up this past week. Almost immediately the king turned serious again. “But you needn’t worry about me. I’m doing just fine.” Clarus then sat down next to him, seeing him eye to eye. “Have you had the time to contact Cid? If not, I’d be happy to drop a line.”

Regis shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I managed to call him today.”

“How was he?”

“Fine. But he demanded a personal visit in exchange for looking after Noctis.” Clarus massaged his temple as he listened to Regis. Among Regis’s royal retinue, Cid was somewhat the most stubborn and outspoken in expressing his opinion, and dare he say, for Cid, Regis’s position meant nothing to him – and it seemed that did not change even after thirty years had passed. Perhaps it was because he was a mechanic, or perhaps it was simply because of his personality. Cid left the royal retinue after his disagreement with Regis over the handling of the refugee crisis born from the Great War – cutting ties with Regis and left the Crown City for good. But to now demand a personal meeting – perhaps there was something on his mind?

“Not the attitude one would normally take toward a king. What did you say?”

“That I couldn’t see him.”

“An honest king.”

Regis scowled. “Honest? Even when I couldn’t tell him anything?” He paused and then looked at Clarus, his expression pained. “I couldn’t even be honest with my own son…” Seeing his friend wearing such a painful expression caused Clarus to slightly wince – he then took a deep breath, sighed before answering earnestly. “It’s not something that can simply be said. When the time came, I couldn’t do it either. But there are no right words for such a circumstance – to send them on their way, that is. You’ve done more than enough, Regis. They’re no longer children – someday, they will understand.”

Looking at his lifelong friend, Regis felt a smile crept to his lips as light calmness and ease washed through him – even though his guilt did not go away and rightfully so, he was relieved that his choice was understood by Clarus. Perhaps as long as Clarus understood and approved of his actions, everything else mattered little; like how he would seek Aulea’s approval over his decisions and as long as she approved, everything else did not matter.

“Many sacrifices must be made for the future. Perhaps it’s too much to hope for the understanding of my people.” Regis was not blind as to not realize how the citizens of the Crown City were deeply unsatisfied as he established Kingsglaive and took refugees from outside of the Crown City, particularly Galahd. He also realized that the decision his father made to pull the range of the Wall closer as to enclose only the Crown City left the outer regions to, frankly speaking, be sacrificed to the empire, and he was very aware how those regions turned bitter against their monarchs, who were supposed to protect them. He was not blind and neither was he stupid, but he realized his options were few.

“But my will is to protect those of the present, and on the path I have chosen, the options before me are few.”

As the king, as the monarch, Regis had always told Noctis to walk tall, a talk that he could not walk. He had to lower his hand, crouch on the ground, even, throwing away his pride, to bring this drawn-out war to conclusion. “I have thrown away my pride. Perhaps I’ll even be ridiculed as a fool.” Regis was ready to take every insult, jeer, mockery, and hatred hurled at him. But hatred did not discriminate and blind people – not only the royal family, but the names of those in the service of the royal family would also be besmirched as well.

“The name of Amicitia, in the service of Caelum, will be sullied. For that, I must beg your forgiveness, Clarus.”

Not only the name of Amicitia – the Scientia and Claudius would also be sullied. He could only hope for Ignis’ and Diana’s understanding.

Clarus shook his head and looked at his old friend – the friend, the monarch he swore his loyalty to thirty years prior until up to this moment. The moment Clarus met Regis and became the Shield of the King, Clarus had sworn on his honor that he would protect him, the king – but more importantly, a true friend.

“You needn’t apologize. To me, you are more than a king: you are a true friend. And no matter what happens, that will never change.”


	5. Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is yet again a retelling of the opening scene of ffxv, chapter 1: departure. i played the game with jp voiceover and translated some dialogues differently than how the game translates them, but i believe the essence remains the same. now that our prince and his entourage are on the road, buckle up for their shenanigans and adventures!

Finding themselves in the grand Throne Room, just mere minutes before the designated departure time, Noctis and his entourage were in the presence of the King, who sat on his lofty throne. The atmosphere heavy with the realization of the impending departure which everyone felt but dared not to speak. Noctis looked around the room – despite being the crown prince, he actually did not spend much time in this room.

“The decreed hour is come. Set forth with my blessing, Prince Noctis.”

Noctis, standing in front of his friends, just a few steps further on the front, solemnly bowed before his father before raising his head, his countenance rather unsure – anxiety clouded his features, nonetheless, he replied. “Thank you…Your Majesty.” While it was not exactly awkward in the room, Noctis just felt so – so _small_. He did not know a world outside of the Crown City and no one among his entourage knew either. The anticipation of going into the unknown heightened and made even more clear as the prince found himself before the King, ready to depart.

“Take your leave, and go in the grace of the gods.”

“Yes.”

Noctis then turned and quickly left without turning back, lightly shoving Gladiolus and surprised his entourage, who were in confusion as how to proceed – Gladiolus made a haste bow and immediately followed Noctis, followed by Prompto and Ignis. Diana, however, was still hesitating. Looking at her friends already making their way outside of the Throne Room, Diana took one more look at the king, whose sadness was very clear on his countenance. She bowed deeply, attempting to hold back her tears, quickly turned around and left, following her friends.

The five descended the giant stairway that led to the entrance of the Citadel, Noctis already leading the way. His expression was unreadable – he kept his lips pursed and his face blank, even though all sorts of emotions were now building inside him. “Well, princes will be princes.”

“So much for the royal protocol.” Ignis quipped as he kept his stride. Diana nodded, affirming his words. “The royal protocol wasn’t very much enforced unless it was a formal situation.”

“Not like you have to deliver a formal address.”

“Your Highness!”

Noctis stopped and turned to see his father descending the stairs, behind him was the captain of the Kingsglaive. His face immediately gave way to that of a concerned look. “What, now?” Noctis immediately walked towards his father so he wouldn’t have to reach him.

“I fear I have left too much unsaid,” Regis began. “Remember that you place a great burden on those who travel with you. Do not trouble them.”

“You’re the one to talk.”

Regis then looked on his son’s entourage. “I do not ask you to guide my wayward son, merely that you remain at his side.” Noctis first looked at Ignis, then looked to his side, slightly irritated.

“Indeed, Your Grace,” Ignis answered as he bowed, followed by Diana who gave the king another bow. “We’ll see the prince to Altissia if it’s the last thing we see.” Gladiolus affirmed, in a tone only the Shield of the King can assume.

“Me – me too,” Prompto replied rather meekly, if compared to the two.

“Hate to break this up, but Cor’s got the motor running,” Noctis interrupted in an impatient voice, as he then waved at the captain of Kingsglaive. “Drautos, he’s in your hands.” Noctis was about to take his leave when the voice of his father stopped him yet again. “And another thing.” Noctis looked at the king. “Do mind your manners around your charming bride to be.” A naughty smirk crossed the young prince’s face, as he approached his father and bowed playfully. “Your Majesty, as well. Try to mind your manners around our esteemed guests from Niflheim.” Regis chuckled, taking comfort in his son’s cheekiness. “You have no cause for concern.”

“Nor do you.”

The king’s expression once again turned serious. “Take heed. Once you set forth, you cannot turn back.”

“You think I would?”

“I need only know that you are ready to leave home behind.”

Perhaps, deep inside his heart, Regis realized that he has yet to let Noctis go. In the deepest recess of his heart, his words of sending his only son forward rang hollow.

Noctis smiled. “Don’t know about you, but I’m ready as I can be.”

“Take care of the long road.”

Something about Regis’s tone made Noctis stop and look at him. He looked at his father, again – this time, he took a good look. His father had aged well beyond his years, whose body took the toll of protecting the Crown City through the Wall. He could see a lot of his own features on his father, whose jaw and face shape he shared. He could see that there was so much his father wanted to say, but he could not pinpoint exactly what it was.

“Wheresoever you should go, the line of Lucis goes with you.”

Placing his hand on his son’s shoulder, there was nothing else but determination on Regis’s face.

“Walk tall, my son.”


	6. The (Not) Fairy-Tale Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...am still somewhat torn that they don't make her name Cidney cries

Prompto groaned in pain. This time, he was on the hot asphalt of the road outside of the Crown City, his prince buddy sitting not far off him, exhausted. Ignis was on the driver seat, with Diana on the back seat. The Regalia had broken down not long after they left the Crown City border, leaving the five stranded in the middle of nowhere – Gladiolus had been trying to hitch a ride to Hammerhead, but to no avail. The last car sped by them and avoided them altogether, leaving Noctis grunting in dismay.

“I think we can forget about hitching our way there…Thought people were friendly outside the city.”

“It can’t be helped. You can only go so far on the kindness of strangers.”

“How much further is it until we get to Hammerhead?” Diana asked in concern.

“Fair to say it’s still quite some distance,” Ignis answered. Diana peeked behind the back seat, giggling when she saw Prompto and Noctis were already exhausted and on their limits. “Oh, boy, you guys hear that?”

“We heard that,” Prompto answered, completely unamused.

Gladiolus stretched a bit, already resigning himself to the fate. “Oh well, just gonna have to push her all the way.” Prompto groaned, “I’ve already pushed myself to the brink of death. Man, I’m so thirsty…” The sun, unrelenting, beamed its rays upon the five and Diana could feel the heat starting to get to her, as well as Noctis and everyone else. Noctis and Prompto had already removed their jackets, Gladiolus had resorted to wearing his famous black tank top that left a lot of girls swooning. He tapped on Noctis’s shoulder, prompting him to groan but got up either way. He also lightly kicked Prompto’s boots, earning him another groan from the blonde. “C’mon, the car isn’t gonna move itself.”

“I thought the _car_ was supposed to move _us_.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Noctis replied sarcastically. Taking his position near to the driver’s seat, Prompto and Gladiolus had also taken their spots – Gladiolus then readied themselves to push on his mark. “Can it. Ready…”

Noctis and Prompto shifted forward, putting their weight forward and on their arms. “Steady…Push!”

In an almost universal grunting between the three, they pushed and finally, the car budged ever so slightly before it moved forward. “Come on guys,” Diana cheered but was also somewhat snickering at how she saw the lean Noctis and Prompto having to push the heavy Regalia, Gladiolus pushing behind and it was only because Gladiolus was pushing forward with his strength that the car can move at all. “You’re laughing at us!” Prompto accused Diana in a somewhat childish tone. She burst out laughing, “I’m sorry! It’s just so funny seeing you three pushing!”

“It seems our lady here takes some kind of pleasure seeing you three did a somewhat remarkable job,” Ignis quipped, somewhat amused as well. “You think this is funny, huh?” Noctis interjected rather irritably. Ignis replied coolly, “Of course not.”

There was a long silence before Noctis groaned again. “Un. Believable.”

“Not exactly a fairy tale beginning huh, Prince Noctis?”

“We took things too far.”

“Look, these things happen!”

“Let’s just hope this isn’t some sort of omen.”

“I’m crossing my fingers this isn’t some sort of omen and we can blame it to the failures on the car,” Diana answered – blatantly lying through her teeth, even though she knew very well that the Crown City would fall and the king would die. She quickly averted her face to the side to avoid anyone taking notice of her contorted expression, taking in the arid and giant expense of the landmass on either side of the road.

“Gladio, do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Push this thing by yourself,” Noctis replied, his muscles starting to ache. “Don’t be dumb,” Gladiolus retorted. “You won’t even know if we just let go,” Prompto replied. Gladiolus warned the blonde – “Prompto, don’t even think about it.”

“Save some breath for pushing,” Ignis chimed in, breaking the squabble between the three. Noctis wasn’t having any of it, however. “Ignis, c’mon – time to switch!” Ignis was about to say something before Gladiolus quickly replied – “Nuh-uh! We just switched back there!”

“And it’s my turn, Noct!” Prompto added, unwilling to let the matter go in hope to get some rest. “And how come you’re telling us to push and not Diana, Gladio?”

“Are you really asking a lady to push a car, Prompto?” Gladiolus answered. “No wonder girls ain’t having it with you, dude.” Diana laughed. “Sorry Prompto, can’t really help you there. Just push, okay?” A comfortable silence sat upon the five as the three pushed forward – the air felt prickly on Diana’s skin, combined with the fine particles of sand that were blown by the wind made for a perfect desert climate. Despite just being thirty kilometers away from the Crown City’s borders, the expanse before her seemed as if it had been directly pulled out of a picturesque storybook. Diana had heard stories about how the decision to pull back the Wall to surround Insomnia caused a quick succession of Niflheim overtaking the cities and establishing bases – and depriving the outposts and cities of the royal protection also caused the land to become lawless where all sorts of monsters and daemons roam the land, fighting for supremacy. But as they say, hearsay is merely a fraction of the truth. While it was true that the lands outside of Insomnia were vastly different where survival of the fittest was enforced, there was also a beauty that came from untamed wildlands that she couldn’t find among the polished skyscrapers of the Crown City.

“My hands are killing me!” Prompto protested, much to Gladio’s irk. “You rather I kill you with mine?”

“Easy now, tough guy.”

“Any luck?” Noctis asked Ignis, only to be met with disappointment. “Only a busy signal.”

“Hold the phone – is it just me, or was it supposed to be way closer?”

“As Ignis said, it was still a fair distance,” Diana replied. Ignis nodded affirmatively. “I assure you the map is correct.”

“That map said Hammerhead was right there,” Noctis replied, peeking on Ignis’s phone screen. Sure enough, the location was far closer than the real distance was. “Literally next door,” Prompto added. “Looks that way on a map of the world,” said the Amicitia, amused at how the crown prince and his best friend literally had no clue that there was a scale on the map for a reason.

“Huh. This world’s a big old place.” The prince’s tone was filled with both curiosity and excitement like any child would when they discovered something new. Ignis agreed, “Filled with wonders.” Diana nodded from the backseat, “Indeed. There’s a certain beauty you can’t find in the Crown City.”

“Don’t we all like that,” Prompto quipped, muscles aching.

“Are you guys pushing?” Gladiolus asked, unamused. Prompto affirmed in a long, dragged tone, “I am…” Noctis replied in an even more hushed, exhausted tone, “Me too…”

After what it seemed to be forever for the three men pushing the car, they finally arrived at Hammerhead. Almost immediately, Prompto and Noctis crashed onto the concrete floor of the outpost, exhausted and dehydrated. Diana chuckled seeing her two friends laying on the floor almost motionlessly before informing the group she would buy some cold drinks for them. As she left, a blonde-haired young woman with yellow mechanic jacket, denim daisy dukes, and a cap approached the four. “Hey there, y’all kept the girl waitin’!”

Prompto immediately got up at the sight of the mechanic. She looked around at the visible three, clearly confused. “Now, which one’s the prince?” Hearing that, Noctis pushed himself up, looking for the source of the voice. The blonde spotted him and quickly approached him – “Hello, Your Highness. Congrats on your wedding!” For some reason, the greeting made him flustered. “N – not hitched just yet.” The woman eyed the prince rather curiously, “So you’re Lady Lunafreya’s groom-to-be, huh? Here in Hammerhead…”

“Apologies for taking so long,” Ignis broke the flow of the conversation between the two, leaving Noctis somewhat relieved and grimacing at the same time. He was relieved because he did not like where the conversation was going, but also grimacing because he was very easy to read – even this mechanic lady in front of him, whom he did not know could read him like a book, evident by the twinkle in her eyes as she congratulated him.

“You’d best save your apologies for Paw-paw,” she replied. A realization then dawned on Gladiolus – “Well, that makes you…”

“Cindy, Cid’s grease-monkey-granddaughter,” Cindy finally introduced herself, complete with a smile. At the same time, Diana returned with a bag of cool bottled drinks, which she handed to Gladiolus and looked at the car. “So, how’s the car – “

“Roll ‘er in while I’m still young! Didn’t yer daddy tell ya? She’s a custom classic, not some beat-up ol’ clunker.”

Cid Sophiar, the master of Hammerhead hollered at the band of the youths as he walked to see and assess the car’s condition. He paused, then looked at Noctis. “And you’re Prince Noctis?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Cid spat mockingly. “ ’Prince’. Like they took your old man and kicked the dignity out of him.” The sorceress immediately shot glares at the old mechanic, which he brushed aside. “You got a long way to go, son. And that slack jaw’s getting’ you nowhere fast.” Noctis remained quiet, but Diana’s glare did not subside – if anything, it only intensified. Only after Ignis lightly tapped her on the shoulder did she soften and lowered her gaze, still uncomfortable with what Cid said of the prince.

“She’s gonna take a while. Y’all get her in and run along.”

Cindy looked at her grandfather’s back and sighed before turning to the group, “Y’all heard him. Let’s get movin’. Right this way.” As the boys pushed the car into the garage, Cindy found Diana and offered her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry if Paw-paw made you uncomfortable.” Diana returned the smile, “It’s okay – I appreciate it. I’ve heard of your grandfather’s exploits when he traveled with His Majesty, so I can somewhat understand,” she paused a little bit, “even though it still made me uncomfortable all the same.”

The mechanic thoughtfully looked at Diana. “I’m assuming you’re not just some random stranger hoppin’ on the road trip, then?”

“My family has served the royal family for generations – I’m just here to continue that tradition.” Cindy then noticed that Gladiolus approached, and sensing he had something to ask, she waved her hand, “Alright, gotta run along.” Cindy then left and gestured at Gladiolus to follow her, leaving Diana alone.


	7. The Pauper Prince and His Companions

Ignis pulled Diana to the side, concern written all over his face. She caught wind of his worried expression and couldn’t help but to feel worried as well – h aving known Ignis since their youth, she knew not so many things could throw the Scientia off his balance, but given that this was their first time outside of the Crown City, perhaps there was some anxiety Ignis tried to push aside and surfaced again because of this particular matter . Looking at Diana carefully, Ignis then started to speak.

“We  have expended the last of our funds on the repairs .”

Diana narrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean by that ?”

“We will not have enough money for other things we have to do or buy.” Diana reached down to her jeans’ pocket; scrounging around the small pocket her fingers found some coins. Pulling them out, both of them were disappointed to see they didn’t amount to much. “What are we going to do? We can’t just leave the Regalia here.” Ignis pondered for a little bit before he answered, “Worst comes to worst, we have to partake in some hustling to get the required fee.”

“Have you talked to  Gladio about this?”

“I plan to inform the rest of the group after this.”

Diana crossed her arm across her chest and rested her chin on her hand. “Don’t you think asking Cindy what to do might be a good idea?” Ignis was silent, lost in thought. “Your idea has some merit. Perhaps she can help us out of this bind.” Having decided on the next course of action, the two then went their separate ways, with Diana heading back into the store in hopes of getting cool air inside. There she found Prompto looking around the store. Prompto noticed Diana’s presence and smiled sheepishly as he showed the sorceress racks and racks of Ebony, Ignis’s favorite canned drink. “They got Ebony out here, Ignis is  gonna flip...” His eyes darted towards the price tag, “Uh, what’s a ‘ gil ’?”

Noctis approached.  Prompto turned to see the prince with a hint of worry on his face. “I got a feeling our money’s no good here,  Noct .”

“ Betcha Ignis came prepared, though,” Noctis replied, crossing his arms across his chest. “Let’s ask him.” The three then made their way to Ignis who was standing near the refuel pump. “Hey, Ignis.” Ignis looked at the three and Gladiolus coming from a different direction. “Perfect timing. May I get your attention - “

Prompto immediately quipped, “Uh, Ignis, what’s a  gil ?”

“The currency accepted outside of the Crown City. I brought enough just in case we need them along our journey, and now we have expended all of them on the repairs.”

“Which means the money we have with us from Insomnia isn’t valid?” Noctis raised his eyebrows.

“Precisely.”

“Broken down and flat broke,”  Prompto moaned. Ignis nodded, “Adding insult to injury.”

“What you suggest we do then?” Gladiolus asked, clearly irritated by the fact that they ran out of money simply because Cid was charging so much.

“We go ask Cindy,” Diana replied, “maybe she can help us out.” Gladiolus nodded approvingly even though he was still irked. “Old man’s in for both after charging us that much.” Noctis didn’t waste any more time and immediately headed towards Cindy, cursing under his breath along the way - “that damn old man.”

The five approached Cindy who noticed. The mechanic quickly addressed them - “she  ain’t gon ’ be ready for a while.  Y’all need somethin’?” Noctis paused for a while, unsure whether to ask for a discount or not – or maybe let Ignis handle it? Nah, he was far too in to ask for help now. He had to swallow his pride and ask now. “Bit steep for a simple tune-up, don’t ya think?” Cindy was a little bit surprised before something made sense to her. “Oh, I get it now.  _ This  _ must be what Paw-paw means when he said he was  gonna ‘teach them boys a lesson’.”

“Are you implying that you charge us much more than it’s supposed to be?” Diana immediately stepped up next to Noctis, clearly unamused. “Are we supposed to assume that’s how businesses conduct themselves outside of the Crown City?”

“No, no, please calm down lady,” Cindy immediately shook her head. “That definitely  ain’t it and that  ain’t how we do business here in Hammerhead.” Diana crossed her arms across her chest. “Then we want an explanation.”

“Paw-paw told me he  oughta have  y’all take care of some ornery varmints that’ve been  causin ’ a ruckus ‘round here. I’d be happy to pay  y’all for your services if you’re up to the challenge. How ‘bout it?”

Noctis once again convened with his friends. “So much for finding an easy way out...Thanks a lot, ‘Paw-paw’,”  Prompto quipped, uncomfortable with the fact that now they had to venture the wilderness and presumably had to kill, but he couldn’t decide which part of this thing he was more uncomfortable with. Gladiolus didn’t seem to mind, though. “This is  gonna be a good time to put all those training  sesh into practice huh, Prince?”

“I just want this to be done and over with.” Noctis threw a look at both Diana and Ignis, “Diana, Ignis, whatcha think?”

“We were left with no choice in this matter. We need the money if we are to continue our journey since the money we brought from Crown City seems to be invalid here. I’d say we take her on the offer.”

“I agree with Ignis, even though I still do not like the fact that we were overcharged.”

“ So, we all agree on this?”

“Think so.”

Noctis returned to Cindy, who figured out they would accept her terms. The mechanic warned them against wandering at night and handed them some amenities including the much-needed  gil . “This  oughta be enough for a place to stay. Just between us, though. Don’t tell Paw-paw!” Noctis handed the money to Ignis, who kept them secure in his pocket. One big question remained: now, how do they commence the hunt?

“The gentleman at the store told me there are tipsters located at Kenny’s. You reckon we can get information about the beasts there?” Everyone almost universally nodded, and so they went to Kenny’s. By the time they went out of Kenny’s, the sun was already high and unforgivingly shone down on the five as they headed into the wilderness, ready for the hunt. Looking around his companion, Noctis felt something very foreign crawled its way in his heart – he immediately felt a sense of duty to protect them. His companions, most of whom he grew up with. Opening his palm, he materialized the Engine Blade – his trusty sword, the one that had been with him for the last four years. The familiar comfort of the hilt in his grip washed him with a peculiar calmness and excitement and as he let the veins of magic that held the blade in its material form dissipated, Noctis knew he was ready. He’s in charge, and he would make sure that everyone came out alright.

Lightly jogging across the sandy and dry prairie, Diana’s eyes were locked around her surroundings all the time, observing even the slightest of the movements. Her shoulders squared, her jaw tense – this did not escape  Prompto , who lightly tapped on her shoulder. “You alright?” 

Startled, Diana immediately backpedaled a few steps when she found  Prompto’s face just inches from hers. “W - why are you so close?!” He grinned, and Diana turned her head away. “You’re so tense Diana, I never see you being that tense.” The sniper noticed how she looked at Noctis’ back with something he couldn’t comprehend before she spoke. “My duty is to keep him safe. Isn’t it natural to be a little bit tense?”

“Eh, we have the big guy there,” he pointed to Gladiolus, “and Ignis there. And me too. We’re  gonna keep  Noct safe,  y’know \- “  Prompto grinned, his face lit up like sunshine - “no need to do it alone.” Diana looked at him as a smile gradually spread across her lips. He was right, there was no need for her to do it alone. She had her friends, and they would work together to keep their liege safe. 


	8. Let the Hunt Begin!

“Looks like we’ve found our first targets. Let’s do it, Noct.”

Noctis slowly crept to the Reapertails bathing in the sun, blissfully unaware their time was about to be numbered. Summoning his powers, Noctis set his sight on one unassuming reapertail – he felt his entire body tingling as the power of the Crystal surged through him and answered his call. Reaching backward and materializing his blade, Noctis threw his sword through the distance and he immediately disappeared in a flash of blue light and just mere inches before the blade struck the monster, he reappeared. Grabbing his sword, Noctis jammed the sword between the reapertail’s husk, wounding the soft flesh within. He immediately pulled his sword back and in coordinated, almost flowing and graceful movements he tore through the beast. His companions immediately joined the fray, with everyone summoning their weapons. Adrenaline shot up through her body as Diana grabbed the hilt of her weapon, the Minerva – a long elaborate scythe with a curved blade that glinted as the sun hit the blade. Swinging the scythe with two hands, Diana struck the two reapertails surrounding Gladiolus before jumping backward, allowing Gladiolus to crush the hard exoskeleton of the beast with a swing of his mighty blade. It didn’t take too long before all the monsters were taken care of – something she was relieved for.

“Any problems?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Gladiolus answered.

“None from my side of things either,” Diana affirmed.

“Excellent work. On we go.”

The five traversed through the arid wasteland before they came across a giant pole, seemingly broken in two. Prompto, being the most inquisitive of all, just had to ask. “What’s this and what happened here?”

Ignis looked over the looming pole. “Perhaps a telegraph pole, split in two. And not just this one either.”

“The hell do you think did this?”

“Hard to say. A natural disaster, perhaps.” As they returned to their duty of exterminating the pests, Gladiolus was still curious. “You sure? Hammerhead doesn’t have a scratch on it.”

“Maybe a huuuuge monster came and knocked ‘em down!” That quip earned him a pretty hard smack from Diana on his back. “Don’t jinx it, you know!” Gladiolus shared the same sentiment. “Better not be the ‘varmint’ Cindy was talking about.”

No one talked after that, and Diana took this time to admire the beauty of the wild. The thrill of battle had not completely left her, but seeing Noctis in battle did put her mind a little bit at ease. She still couldn’t shake off the feeling of sadness that clouded her mind ever since they set off from the capital, still heartbroken knowing that Noctis would never see his father again. She would never see her monarch again. Unlike her peers, technically she was in the service of the current monarch and was not a subordinate to the heir, but because she and Noctis were of the same age, they spent a lot of time together when they were younger and her father always stressed that the family’s loyalty extends to the heir as well.

She knew Noctis for almost all of her life. Noctis had changed considerably after the one incident that put him in a coma, and sometimes she still missed that upbeat, chatty boy that would come to her and took her hand, dragging her into his father’s study, playing king pretend and that she was his loyal vassal. He was her best friend, even if he didn’t think so of her. He meant a lot to her in so many ways. But again, who knows what lurks beneath his deep blue eyes, hidden behind the strands of his hair?

Her mind’s detour came to an end as she noticed Noctis tensed up and slowed his steps, his eyes trained on his targets. As he opened the battle with a warp-strike, everyone leaped forward, following him, weapons in hand. He was too focused on the monster in front of him, not realizing that another had crept up behind his back, ready to strike. Gladiolus noticed and raised his voice.

“Noct!”

Noctis turned around in time and he blocked the attack, immediately parrying the beast. It fell backward as Gladiolus launched himself upwards and swung his great sword with all his might, smashing the off-balance reapertail in one fell swoop. Seeing it got taken care of, Noctis trained his eyes on a target quite far away and readied his warp-strike, beckoning the power at his disposal. To his dismay, however, he couldn’t seem to grasp the magic as if it was scattered in his blood and escaped each time he managed to weave the magic together. Diana, who noticed, immediately approached him.

“You’re in a stasis. Until it’s over, you can’t warp or phase to avoid attacks. Be careful.”

“Ugh,” Noctis groaned as he realized his only way to reach the target would be to run up to it. “Can you take care of that one, Diana?” The sorceress looked to the aforementioned target and nodded. “I can. As for you, take cover.” Closing her eyes, she beckoned the power of Crystal and it answered – her hands glowed with a cold light before she threw her hands forward, casting Blizzard. The temperature immediately dropped and everyone collectively shivered, the blizzard obliterating the entire herd of the enemy. The magic’s effect gradually subsided, though, and the temperature went back to normal. A smile made its way to her lips; another job well done.

“Alright! We’ll be done in no time.”

“Let’s get on with it.”

As they scoured the vast land for their last band of reapertail, Prompto just _had to_ ask. “So, what’s the plan from here on out?”

“Once the repairs in Hammerhead are done, we are heading to Galdin Quay,” Ignis replied as if he was affirming the plans to himself. “And after that, we hop a boat, and before you know it, it’s the prince’s wedding.”

“Wait for car repairs, then wedding bells in the air. Got it!” Even though it wasn’t his wedding, Prompto couldn’t help but be excited about his best friend too.

“I have heard good things about Galdin Quay. The lodging there was one of the best, if not the best, in Lucis,” Diana said, her mind wandering. “Ah, to be able to stay at one of those rooms...”

“Unfortunately, it’s quite costly,” Ignis replied matter-of-factly, “but I reckon we can arrange for a few nights’ stay after this is over and done with.” Gladiolus playfully jabbed Noctis’s side, “too bad huh, prince? We goin’ on a vacation and you ain’t going anywhere.” Noctis grunted from the pain – Gladiolus really didn’t hold back with his jabs. “I don’t see any reason why Noct can’t come along,” Diana replied, “he can bring over Lady Lunafreya with us.”

“Why, just why?” Prompto cried out, “I mean, you really wanna have two lovebirds at our friend's night outside?”

“Just say you’re jealous of our prince here,” Gladiolus let out a hearty laugh, “he’s gonna get married and you don’t even have a lady on your list.” Merry laughter filled the dry air as the five strode in synchronized steps on their way, forward, each step taken was filled with wonder and excitement and somewhat anxiety as they set to finish this task at hand.

The sun had set as they dragged their legs back to Hammerhead, tired and sore from all the fighting but they had successfully carried their task – and they could finally pay for the caravan car close to the Hammerhead for a one-night stay. Cindy was surprised to see they could pull off such a feat, considering that most of them had never stepped outside the security of the Crown City, especially the youthful prince. She watched their backs as they disappeared into the caravan until Cid’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“Those young’uns remind me of those years I spent travelin’ with Regis,” Cid spoke, but mostly to himself rather than to her. “Reggie’s boy all grown up now, huh.”

“You felt like you fell behind the years, Paw-paw?” Cindy asked.

“Nah, that ain’t it,” Cid answered, his tone warm. “I just felt old, but as they said, age’s just a number.” Cid then looked at his granddaughter, “c’mon. We have a lot to fix.”


	9. Their Lives Would Never be the Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i initially wanted to stall this chapter until noctis actually arrives in galdin quay but i thought it would be more interesting to explore the fall of insomnia from someone's point of view that is not kingsglaive members - also a very good time to finally write about rem, diana's younger brother! he is reliable but doesn't share diana's loyalty to the royal family, and since he's not the immediate successor to the claudius bloodline he's more of a homeboy who supports her in her journey.

The king is dead. There was never peace to begin with.

The Citadel had become an all-out battleground. Niflheim made their way hastily towards the Crystal Room, guided by the traitors of the Kingsglaive. Lunafreya made her way out of the Citadel with Nyx – outside she could catch the glimpse of imperial soldiers subduing the citizens, forcing them into submission. The Oracle shut her eyes, gripping the Ring of the Lucii inside her palm tightly. His Majesty entrusted her with the ring, to deliver the ring to Noctis – and to guide him towards his destiny. She opened her eyes, the face of her fiancée still floating at the back of her mind and it gave her strength. She had to make it out alive outside. As Nyx urged her to move forward and fend off the soldiers hot on their trails, Lunafreya surrendered herself to the adrenaline pumped into her blood, heart racing, but full of determination – she will not break, she is stronger than she is, and she will survive. Her legs will not give up until she delivers the ring to Noctis. And to see him again, Lunafreya will do anything.

* * *

Rembrandt never thought it would come to this.

He had his own suspicions about the so-called truce Niflheim proposed, and his worst fears had come true. The king is dead – he could tell the moment something inside him snapped. He could no longer sense the warm barrier between his soul and the Crystal, and he prayed he could still call upon the Crystal’s power without being driven mad. There was no point heading to The Citadel – it would be a suicide, and so Rembrandt turned his attention to helping the Crownsguard fight off the imperial soldiers. At the corner of his eye, he noticed someone with the Crownsguard uniform, having difficulties in fending off the magitek soldiers. Rembrandt swiftly turned and his hands glowed and sizzled with power. He leaped forward, unleashing his stored-up power, and struck the soldiers with a barrage of lightning – he could see behind the Crownsguard personnel were two young women embracing each other, perhaps siblings? Landing on his feet, he saw the two women immediately scurried away to safety after bowing slightly – but now there was no safe place, wasn’t it?

The Crownsguard paused for a moment before he recognized the blonde youth – “Lord Claudius! I apologize for bothering you!”

“It’s fine,” Rembrandt waved his hand, “what’s the situation?”

“We’ve heard the news of regicide by Captain Drautos of Kingsglaive,” the personnel replied, almost breathless, “I pray it is not true. Captain Drautos was the King’s right-hand – surely it is just some hearsay?”

“The king is dead,” Rembrandt replied curtly, “that much is true.” His eyes widened and his shoulder slumped upon the news, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. “So, the Kingsglaive was traitors, after all.” The Crownsguard looked around the devastation, wiping the tears with the back of his hand before turning to Rembrandt, “Lord Claudius, I thank you for the assistance. I shall now patrol the city and evacuate the citizens. What are you planning to do, my lord?” Rembrandt paused thoughtfully as he looked around – deciding what to do was easy. “I will help with the evacuation of the citizens. Have the Crownsguard set up shelters?”

“I believe the closest is at the Caelum Via,” he replied, “we were stationed there to keep the citizens away, and now with the imperial soldiers gone it should be a free area.”

Rembrandt nodded and as the two broke into a run, he closed his eyes, praying that Diana would be alright. Even if he did not survive this, his sister would survive and carry on the blood and the legacy, and to fulfill their bloodline’s duty to the crown. His thoughts flew to their mother who was hospitalized last night after a fit of cough and high fever, and he prayed that his mother would be alright without him at her bedside. But for now, he had to focus on the task at hand, and that is to try and save any citizens they stumble upon the way. As the imperial soldiers intercepted them, Rembrandt brandished his fleuret and together with the Crownsguard, eliminated the soldiers. Gleaning upwards, Rembrandt could no longer see the sheen of the Wall and he closed his eyes, exhaling a quiet breath, acknowledging the fall of the Crown City.

The sun had started to set by the time they reached Caelum Via. True to the Crownsguard’s words, the majority of the citizens were evacuated into the hotel, most of them women and children. The Crownsguard was at work, helping with the provisions and being busy overall. As the Crownsguard accompanying him bid him farewell, Rembrandt looked around before his eyes fell upon a lone female figure talking to who seemed to be several soldiers. As the men left, the female went her own way and her sight fell immediately at Rembrandt. “Rembrandt, is that you?”

“Aunt Elizabeth, it has been a while,” Rembrandt lowered his head at his paternal aunt, the younger sister of his father. He had heard of her exploits as one of the Crownsguard’s most trusted soldiers – he also had heard rumors about her blood-thirsty nature and ferocity in battle, making her one of the most feared Lucian soldiers. She was rarely home at their estate, however, so Rembrandt only heard hearsays about her. His thoughts were disturbed as she briskly walked at him and asked, “Where’s Matilda?”

“Mother is currently hospitalized,” Rembrandt answered – at that answer, Elizabeth’s countenance softened somewhat. “I see. And where’s your sister?”

“She’s currently accompanying the Crown Prince to Altissia.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “The prince is alive.” Less than a proclamation, and more of a whisper.

“Indeed, he is,” Rembrandt affirmed. “Not all is lost. His retinue had left the crown city yesterday, and if nothing goes wrong, they should be able to arrive safely without any incidents any time now.” Elizabeth paused in deep thought before looking again at her nephew. “Does anyone else know about this?”

“I’d assume that the relatives of Lord Gladiolus and Lord Ignis would be aware. But I haven’t seen Lord Amicitia or Lady Iris, neither have I seen Lady Scientia…”

“It’s alright – at least we can now be at ease because we know His Highness is alive,” Elizabeth interjected, “do not tell anyone else of what you know – if this gets out, it might be an incentive for the imperial soldiers to chase after him…We have to ensure that no imperial soldiers here can catch up with him.” Elizabeth then turned, “follow me. We need to plan a counterattack – “

A loud boom shattered window glasses of the hotel, screams, and wails filled the air as the citizens huddled closer to each other, fear clear in their faces. Elizabeth and Rembrandt instinctively looked through the window and was horrified to see salvos of energy beams devastating the city from the skies – the two immediately ran towards the nearest open ground and were horrified by what they saw: a giant magitek armor flying in the skies above, its red, menacing cores glowed sinisterly as the appendages on its shoulder opened, raining down devastation from the skies. Scenarios ran through the youth’s mind – what to do, what to do? If that giant armor floating in the sky was one of Niflheim’s newest innovation, the chance only the two of them could stand against it would be slim at best and impossible at worst. Rembrandt could also sense the overflowing miasma from that abomination – not only one or two, but multiple of it. The two Claudius still looked up to the sky when they saw multiple statues rose from their slumber, the ground rumbled with each stone joints moving – they immediately recognized the statues as the Old Wall.

“But how?” Rembrandt mouthed quietly, dazed. The king was dead, and without him to control the Old Wall there would be no one to control it – except those who wear the ring and had gained its approval. Perhaps someone had risen and commanded it? Elizabeth was equally in awe, having never seen such a thing happening in her life – she was quick to regain her composure, however, and looked at Rembrandt. “We have to ensure citizens’ safety. Let’s go back.”

* * *

Night has fallen, and the sounds of battle grew distant and quiet. After helping with the provisions, Rembrandt excused himself and followed the deployed paramedics back to the Royal Academy Hospital, where his mother was hospitalized. He tried his best to resist the urge to call Diana, who should be well off onto the second leg of her journey – assuming there was no interference, it shouldn’t take more than two days to arrive at the Galdin Quay and board a vessel there. He shouldn’t worry her with their mother’s deteriorating condition and the fall of Insomnia – the attack would make its way to the news tomorrow either way. For now, he had more than enough to worry about.

He leaned backward on his seat in the ambulance, closing his eyes, slowly drifting into sleep. Their lives would never be the same again.


	10. The Beginning of the Trials

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck.”

The moment Noctis and his companion arrived at the top of the staircase, a man in black and unkempt red hair halted their progress. “The boats bring you here.”

“What about ‘em?” Prompto asked.

“Well, they’ll not take you forth.”

“And what’s your story?” Gladiolus replied, unamused.

In a dramatic gesture, the man stepped forward and he began to speak in a rather bored, dragged out, and sarcastic tone. “I’m an impatient traveler, ready to turn ship. The ceasefire’s getting us nowhere.” He paused for a little bit, before turning and flicked a silver coin at the young prince. Gladiolus stretched his arm and caught it squarely in the middle of his palm, while the red-haired man gained himself several sharp dagger stares from Diana and the prince himself, wary of his conduct. Gladiolus opened his palm, looking at the silver coin in his hand. “What’s this? Some sort of souvenir?”

“They make those?”

Noctis was not amused that Prompto was still as easily piqued as ever. “What? No.”

The man in front of them smirked. “Consider it your allowance.”

“Yeah, and who’s _allowing_ us?” Gladiolus and Diana took two steps forward, standing side to side, not keen on the man already. He smirked and opened his arms, shrugging. “A man of no consequence.” As he turned on his back and left without looking back, Diana stared at his back, still uneasy after their brief encounter – it was fair to say, however, that everyone in the group was uneasy after their brief encounter. There was something…off in his gait, in his posture, the way that he walked, the way that he spoke. As if he thought of this world as his plaything. Noctis put his hands on his hips, he couldn’t shake off the weird feeling of knowing the man but at the same time being the strangest stranger he had ever come across.

“You believe what that guy said about the port being closed?”

“I’m skeptical, though I won’t discount the possibility.”

“I say we go check it out for ourselves.”

The five then headed to the pier. Diana could see there was no vessel in sight and she realized what the man said was true. The pier was known to be busy especially during these days, where people would vacation from all over the world to the Galdin Quay and view the Angelgard, the misshapen island in the southern waters of the Galdin Quay. And since Galdin Quay is the only direct route available to head to Altissia, something was amiss.

“Out of service, indeed.”

Prompto looked around. “Aw, man. Not a ship in sight. What gives?”

“So, the man was right,” Diana muttered to herself, deep in thought. “But what does the ceasefire have anything to do with it?”

“Are you still thinking over his words?” Apparently, Ignis heard her, and when she saw him there was thoughtfulness upon his countenance. He kept a respectable distance from her but still was close enough for Diana to see him clearly. “I…can’t seem to shake the feeling off,” Diana answered, still trying to hide her anxiousness at the recent encounter and of what she knew, that the Crown City might as well had fallen. Ignis looked at her, thoughtfully, before putting a hand on her shoulder – a gesture he usually did not perform. “I presume there is something bothering you more than just mere words of a stranger. I will not pry, but let me know if you need anything.” She looked at Ignis, who, despite his stiffness and upper-lipped behavior, was now having one of his rare, gentle expression on his face. “Thank you,” Diana replied, with a smile – relieved that Ignis did not pry further, but also offered her some comfort. As Ignis left, Diana took some time to behold the vast waters of the Cygillan Ocean before closing her eyes, savoring the billowing coast wind, creating small waves in its wake. She opened her eyes, exhaling quietly, and then turned to see that her companions were dealing with a man.

“What is this about?” Diana approached the four, who seemed not to be very keen on dealing with the man.

“Oh, now who’s this?” The man obnoxiously gestured at her, “could it be that you’re the mysterious lady of the Crown Prince’s entourage that all the ladies of the country is gossiping about – ”

Noctis immediately shifted his body towards Diana in a protective manner, silently glaring at the man. The man immediately ceased his blabbering when he noticed the prince had become hostile towards him. “Alright alright, no need to get hostile, Your Highness,” the man said. “The name’s Dino. Pleased to make your acquaintance, madam.”

“…yes, I guess?” Diana mouthed, unsure how to react.

Dino handed Noctis a map. “Marked where you need to go on your map. All you gotta do is find me some rough gemstones – like this one. Do this, and your ship’ll come in. Don’t, and the papers’ll run you outta town. Capisce?”

“You _agreed_ to his request?” Diana raised her voice in disbelief as they left Dino and headed back upstairs. “We don’t have much choice,” Ignis replied, “he promises us that our vessel will come in and we can leave for Altissia as soon as possible if we run his errand.” Gladiolus crossed his arms across his chest, unamused, “and he threatened to announce our existence here and there too.”

“But you know paparazzi’s words are not to be trusted. How do you know we can trust him?”

“Um, it’s not like I’m an oracle or something but I think…he’s not a bad person?” Prompto said, scratching his neck. “Like, y’know, just my gut feeling. He ain’t that much of a bad person, but that’s coming from me…” Diana shook her head just slightly and then sighed. “Fine. We don’t have a choice anyway. If he ends up not holding up his end of the bargain, I’ll make him sorry.”

* * *

Later that night, Diana found herself alone at the pier. The nightly coastal wind blew gently, soothing the sorceress after a tiring day. She looked up to the sky, noticing that the sky seemed a little bit brighter tonight, with countless stars twinkling – some brightly, some with a very, very faint reddish light. Between the sound of the waves and her own breath, she found a little solace within. The invasion would start any time soon now, and after that, what would become of them? What would become of the Crown City, of everyone inside, of her mother, of her brother? Diana could only pray that at least her little family would survive and that her family residence would be spared – but that alone was very wishful thinking. Destruction knows no one by name as it is indiscriminate, but she could hope. Closing her eyes, she quietly prayed to the Six, hoping that her plight would be heard and that everyone she loved would be alright until the day she can return to the Crown City.

“Hey, you’re still up this late?”

Diana turned to see her charge walking at her. “Oh, hey Noct.” Noctis walked until he stood next to Diana, both of them facing the vast waters. Silence settled between them and Noctis looked at her. He was together with her far before everyone else, as she came to the Citadel when she was just three years old. She was there before he even met Ignis and Gladiolus, so it was safe to say that their history went further than anyone else in the group. In some aspect, she hasn’t changed – still as upright, still as fierce, still as gentle, still as thoughtful – but still as secretive. He knew her longer than anyone else, he knew when something was bothering her…and still, he could not muster the courage to ask her somehow.

“I’m fine, Noct,” Diana suddenly snapped him out, a gentle smile on her lips. “Sure, there are things bothering me here and there, but….” There was a pause. Then an exhale. “You know, just having all of you here with me makes me feel a little bit better.” The prince caught a glimpse of pain within her expression that faded faster than it came – Noctis thought it was his own imagination.

“Y’know, about that man we met earlier when we got here…”

“Yes?”

“I got this feeling that I know him. It’s weird, I know, but I got this feeling that I knew him somewhat. But just a little bit. He's still a weirdo and a very bad one at that.”

Diana paused. “You sure you have never met him before? Not just you forgetting things?”

Noctis raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean I forget things?”

“Too many occurrences than I can count with all my fingers.” She playfully smiled – now that’s the Diana he knew.

“But really, I never met him. If I’ve met him somewhere somewhat, you’d be the one to remember.”

“Fair point.”

“You’d be where I am, after all.”

“Of course. I’m the shadow to your crown. The shadow to the light of the Crystal. Where there is light, there is shadow. The shadow exists to protect the light, to do the things it cannot do on its own.” The words were uttered with ease – she raised her head to see Noctis just a little bit better. “And that will never change.”

Silence followed. Noctis had a question. “Isn’t it hard? To be concealed inside the shadows, never being acknowledged or anything at all?”

“Mm,” Diana was deep in thought, crossing her arms across her chest. “Well, compared to the recognition other vassal houses get, sometimes it can be kinda hard. I don’t wanna brag, but you know the history of my family. We have worked for the royal family before even House Amicitia entered the picture – we did the dirty work for the royals in the darkness.” Of course, Noctis was well aware of the history of the Claudius since they went back to the Founder King’s time – loyal to the crown and the sovereign, they were dubbed the Shadowhand due to the work they undertake for the sake of the crown; “secret agent” would probably be the better term to describe what the Claudius did. Every heir to the throne would have at least one close confidant from the Claudius family, and during the time before the Crownsguard exists it was the elites of the House Claudius that would be tasked with the protection of the sovereign. Their history was so intertwined with the crown that it would be a crime not to acknowledge their efforts, but they weren’t called the Shadowhand for no reason.

“I…Uh, I’m sorry,” Noctis apologized, even though he was not sure what to apologize for. Diana chuckled. “No need, Noct. I already made peace with that. Plus, I’m your friend. You see me, you see all of us as your equal, and that’s more than enough acknowledgment for me.”


End file.
